On January 14, 2014 Arizona State University kicked off a public fundraising drive in conjunction with its plan to rebuild iconic Sun Devil Stadium. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Momentum!

Stadium FactsName: Sun Devil Stadium, Frank Kush Field Capacity: 65,870Largest Crowd: 74,963 ASU vs California, Nov. 9, 1996, ASU 35, California 7 Playing Surface: Natural (Hybrid Bermuda grass). Lighting: Four banks of quartz-iodide flood lights suspended 200 feet over the playing field. Stadium Height: 122 feet from playing field to top of grandstand, approximately 12 stories. Press Box: Located atop the west cantilever, accommodates approximately 300 people on three seating platforms. The 360 x 55-foot facility includes a kitchenette, an eating area and lavatories. Elevator: Four elevators with one serving the press exclusively.

Sun Devil Stadium/Frank Kush Field

One of the most aesthetic, dynamic, innovative and beautiful collegiate stadiums in the nation, Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium has played host to some of the best football games for more than four decades.

It has hosted Arizona State University football games since 1958, including the game on Sept. 21, 1996, when the playing surface was named Frank Kush Field as ASU upset top-ranked Nebraska 19-0. It has hosted four national championships - Notre Dame vs. West Virginia in 1988, Nebraska vs. Florida in 1996, Tennessee vs. Florida State in 1999 and Ohio State vs. Miami in 2003. And it played host to the NFL's ultimate showcase - the 1996 Super Bowl where the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a close win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The stadium, a favorite of television production crews, was the the home of the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl for 35 years and the NFL's Arizona Cardinals for 18 seasons. Beginning in 2006, Sun Devil Stadium became the new home of the Insight Bowl.

The facility, regarded since 1958 as one of the nation's outstanding collegiate football facilities, also boasts a spectacular, second-to-none setting.

A complete playing surface renovation was christened by ASU on Sept. 5, 1992, as the Sun Devils hosted Washington in the season-opener. At a cost of $2 million, the stadium addition accomplished four goals: 1) provided Sun Devil Stadium with a more durable playing surface; 2) provided better patron sight lines in the lower seating levels; 3) expanded sideline area for player safety; and 4) provided advantages to television and print photographers.

Constructed between two mountain buttes, the stadium literally was carved from the desert, and occupies a space between the Tempe buttes - actually small mountains that ideally have accommodated the growth of the structure.

Sun Devil Stadium addresses Phoenix to the west and the south end zone (formerly the open end) points to scenic Tempe, home of Arizona State University.

With the south end expansion completed and the press and sky boxes in place, and with an expanded cantilevered upper deck (1977), Sun Devil Stadium boasts a capacity of 71,706.

The expansion of 1988, which added a large seating section that completed the oval of the stadium, added almost 1,700 seats to the stadium's capacity. Also added was the Intercollegiate Athletic Complex at the structure's south end, which is now named the Nadine and Ed Carson Student Athlete Center. The building houses the entire realm of the ASU athletic department. A state-of-the-art scoreboard and four-color video replay board were also added.

During the 1978 expansion, design features enabled the stadium to be modernized without light supports, sound system supports, or construction pillars in the viewing line of the spectators. The dramatic proximity of every seat to the playing field is another feature that has made Sun Devil Stadium one of the nation's finest college football arenas.

Originally erected in 1958 (capacity 30,000), the stadium additions were begun in 1976 (boosting capacity to 57,722) and 1977. The latter raised the seating to 70,491.

The expansion effort was an $11 million undertaking, accomplished completely without the aid of state tax monies.

Assisting in a stadium financing plan unlike any other in the nation, the largest and oldest Arizona State support organization, the Sun Angel Foundation, provided $4.5 million of the necessary funding. The Sun Angel contribution was particularly important because it also helped pave the way for bond clearance.

Spectators at stadium events also have helped fund the expansion with their payment of a surcharge on each ticket purchased.

Arizona State has led the Pacific-10 Conference in average attendance seven times (1986, '85, '84, '83, '82, '80 and '79) since joining the league in 1978. ASU finished second six times and third twice. Last year, the Sun Devils drew a home total of 339,890 fans. On a single-game basis, Arizona State averaged 48,556 spectators.

The first game was played in the original structure against West Texas State on October 4, 1958. The Sun Devils triumphed in the baptismal event, taking a 16-13 verdict over the Buffaloes.

Following the 1976 portion of the expansion, Arizona State took a 35-3 victory over Northwestern on September 17, 1977 to continue the winning tradition of stadium christenings.

When the 1977 expansion was completed, the Sun Devils prevailed 42-7 over Pacific to post a hat trick on stadium dedication contests. In 1988, ASU defeated Illinois, 21-16 on September 10, to win its fourth dedication game. In 1989, ASU beat Kansas State 31-0, in the expansion opener.

In 1987, the stadium was filled beyond capacity for the Papal visit, one of the few sites to play host to the Pope's tour of the United States. On April 4, 1976, the New York Cosmos (with Pelé) and the Los Angeles Aztecs played an exhibition soccer game in front of 15,000 fans in the stadium.

In 2008, the New England Patriots used the stadium as their practice facility in preparation for Super Bowl XLII.

In May of 2009, President Barack Obama spoke at ASU's commencement ceremonies in front of a crowd of more than 70,000 people, the largest U.S. audience for Obama since his inauguration.

THE CARSON STUDENT ATHLETE CENTER

With an excellent playing surface in place, Sun Devil Stadium is the one of the best college football facilities in the country.

The field facelift, along with the 165,000-square-foot Carson Student Athlete Center and the three-story, 60,000-square-foot press box and skybox additions, makes Arizona State's Sun Devil Stadium one of the true showcases of college football.

The press box and skybox facility, which sits atop the upper deck on the west side, contains two 30-suite levels of skyboxes renovated in 1999 and is topped by an ultra-modern press box and eight additional private suites. The facility also boasts its own television production room, complete with editing and chyron capabilities and camera equipment. The equipment is manned by a full crew on game day to give spectators live and replay views of the contest.

Served by four industrial-sized elevators - one for the media and three for the public - the facility has working space for more than 200 sportswriters, booth space for broadcasters, statistical crews, scoreboard operations and a rooftop camera deck in addition to suite seating for more than 900 fans.

The bowl (south) end was connected by the dramatic ICA Complex and the extension of the loge-level seats. Locker rooms also were added in the north end visiting teams. Two new scoreboards were put in place in 1999. The color video replay system, situated in the southeast corner, offers fans instant replays of game action. The original video screen was the first of its kind in an on-campus football stadium. A complementary matrix board for messages and statistical information sits in the southwest corner.

Located in the south end of Sun Devil Stadium, the $28 million, 165,000-square-foot Carson Student Athlete Center houses all of ASU's 21 varsity sport coaches, as well as athletic administration.

With the completion of the complex in 1988 and the additions in 2002, the athletic department was centralized in one facility for the first time. The goal was to have the entire department together to improve communication and operations between coaches and administrators.

A view of the Kajikawa Practice Field

With the expansion and renovation, the lower three levels are expanded almost to the street. The lower level features the recently improved Sun Devil locker room, a state-of-the-art weight training facility (expanded from 4,000 to 15,000 square feet), an equipment area and the sports medicine department, which includes a Swim-Ex underwater exercise device. One of the few schools in the nation to have the device, ASU's student-athletes have the ability to run, swim or engage in strengthening exercises in the training room. More than 5,000 square feet of working space is available to athletic trainers in the areas of rehabilitation, hydrotherapy, examination, x-ray and treatment, including physician's office with full capabilities such as a pharmacy.

The first floor features the Sun Devil athletic ticket office, a souvenir shop, the media relations office and Bill and Judy Schaefer Sports Hall of Fame, a tribute to former student-athletes, coaches and administrators who have influenced Sun Devil athletics.

The second floor houses ASU's Olympic sport coaches and staff as well as the Academic and Student Services operation. Academic and Student Services have vast study and tutorial areas on this floor as well as a computer lab for ASU's student-athletes. All offices have spectacular views of either Sun Devil Stadium or south Tempe.

The third floor is the headquarters for Sun Devil football, with the head coach, his coordinators, assistant head coach and assistants all on one floor. In addition to the football offices, the third floor also houses a 150-seat theater and offices for ASU's men's and women's basketball, volleyball and baseball.

The fourth floor accommodates the bridging of the loge level of the stadium. As part of the 1998 project, 1,677 loge level seats were added, and ticket holders in this level have concessions and restroom facilities as well as television monitors for replays.

The fifth floor houses a Stadium Club area, a Varsity A Conference Room as well as offices for the Sun Devil Club.

The sixth floor is devoted to the ICA administrative staff.

Progression of Stadiums

Stadium (Years)

W

L

T

Pct.

Normal Field (1897-1926; 30 yrs.)

23

12

3

.645

Irish Field (1927-1935; 9 yrs.)

15

13

1

.535

Goodwin Stadium (1936-1958; 23 yrs.)*

66

38

6

.627

Sun Devil Stadium (1958-present, 53 yrs.)

260

95

3

.732

*Capacities - 1936 (5,000); 1940 (10,000); 1941 (15,000)

Season Attendance

Year

HomeRecord

HomeAttendance

Avg./Game

TotalGames

TotalAttendance

Avg.All Games

1958

4-2

160,161

26,694

*10

249,669

24,967

1959

7-0

181,300

25,900

11

221,200

20,109

1960

4-2

165,300

27,500

10

215,190

21,519

1961

4-2

167,536

27,550

10

213,836

21,384

1962

6-1-1

216,735

27,092

10

255,085

25,509

1963

5-1

189,024

31,504

9

235,255

26,139

1964

7-0

200,167

28,595

10

265,603

26,560

1965

5-2

208,720

29,817

10

264,073

26,407

1966

3-3

180,732

30,122

10

272,302

27,230

1967

4-2

235,209

39,172

10

340,693

34,069

1968

6-0

210,839

35,140

10

312,130

31,213

1969

5-1

266,269

44,378

10

324,855

32,486

1970

6-0

277,830

46,305

10

374,823

37,482

1971

6-0

302,416

50,403

11

429,618

39,056

1972

5-1

285,904

47,651

11

399,296

36,300

1973

6-0

300,463

50,077

11

411,613

37,419

1974

5-2

334,512

47,787

12

503,731

41,978

1975

7-0

329,644

47,092

11

406,836

36,985

1976

2-5

338,821

48,403

11

466,176

42,380

1977

6-1

398,057

56,865

11

479,078

43,553

1978

5-1

421,249

70,208

11

600,744

54,613

1979

+5-2

488,141

69,734

11

686,013

62,365

1980

6-1

443,018

63,288

11

681,013

61,910

1981

7-0

449,153

64,165

11

621,465

56,497

1982

6-1

457,369

65,338

11

604,114

54,920

1983

5-3

539,786

67,473

11

682,461

62,042

1984

3-5

537,732

67,217

11

658,626

59,875

1985

6-1

454,390

64,913

11

622,056

56,551

1986

6-0-1

486,034

69,433

11

793,398

66,117

1987

4-2-1

493,593

70,513

11

696,131

63,285

1988

4-2

424,300

70,717

11

665,848

60,532

1989

5-3

533,819

66,727

11

680,941

61,904

1990

3-3

373,782

62,297

11

556,474

50,589

1991

3-3

334,287

55,715

11

570,748

51,886

1992

4-2

278,978

46,496

11

495,977

45,089

1993

4-2

294,636

49,106

11

473,063

43,006

1994

2-4

260,811

46,802

11

552,857

50,260

1995

4-2

293,283

48,881

11

567,679

51,607

1996

7-0

447,187

63,884

11

627,710

57,065

1997

4-2

396,086

66,014

12

665,177

55,431

1998

4-2

389,535

64,923

11

646,439

58,767

1999

4-2

355,169

59,195

11

651,297

59,208

2000

3-3

303,671

50,612

11

512,006

41,667

2001

4-3

344,997

49,285

11

519,420

43,606

2002

5-2

320,857

45,837

14

701,198

50,086

2003

4-2

325,488

54,248

12

593,158

49,430

2004

6-0

375,846

62,641

12

705,239

58,770

2005

4-3

428,096

61,157

12

660,754

55,063

2006

4-2

327,369

54,562

13

722,668

55,590

2007

7-1

503,003

62,875

13

772,334

59,410

2008

4-3

446,856

63,837

12

749,940

62,492

2009

3-4

339,890

48,556

12

596,362

49,697

2010

4-2

287,657

47,943

12

656,679

54,723

2011

5-2

413,031

59,004

13

697,235

53,633

*Includes opening games of season in Goodwin Stadium, not reflected in home attendanceat Sun Devil Stadium. + Four victories subsequently forfeited.